Only in Your Dreams
by PrincessBellePrinceAdam
Summary: xOperation Overdrivex Unable to find the courage to tell Rose his true feelings, Mack finds himself in a world where Rose is married to...Dax?
1. Chapter 1

**Only in Your Dreams**

He watched her from the corner of his eye as he drove them home. She was smiling, lost in her own world. She was so, so beautiful. Why couldn't he just tell her how much he loved her? He could face and defeat monsters and save the world, but he couldn't tell Rose how much he loved her.

"Thanks for dinner, Mack," Rose said as he pulled into the driveway. "It was very nice of you to treat."

"Huh?"

"Dinner," Rose said slowly. "Thank you for dinner."

"Oh," Mack replied, feeling his face flush pink. "Sure. You're welcome." He expected her to get out of the car as fast as possible due to his strange mood. To his surprise and pleasure, she sighed softly and leaned back against the seat. Without a thought, she threaded her fingers through his.

"I can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow." Rose looked over at him. "I feel more at home here than I ever did when I lived with my parents or when I had my place in London."

He nodded. "It's my home too. It's gonna seem so empty without you…I mean, you guys."

"But you're going with your dad on that big expedition. That'll be exciting. It's what you always wanted, isn't it?" She knew him so well.

"Yeah," Mack answered slowly. Truth be told, all thoughts of exploring with his dad had gone out of his head on the first day the others had arrived.

"You'll have to let me know how it goes. Drop in on me sometime. Day or night." Rose flashed him a smile and unwound her fingers from his. "Thanks again, Mack." She kissed his cheek, just like she always did when they said goodnight, and hopped out. "See you in the morning."

He nodded mutely, enchanted by her. _'Idiot'_ he scolded himself. _'Smooth Hartford, real smooth. Like Rose would ever be interested in you.' _Mack noticed that Rose looked back at him, a slightly worried expression on her face.

When Mack finally got upstairs to his room, he went right for the dresser for sweats and a T-shirt. He was still kicking himself for acting so ridiculously in the car with Rose. _'Stupid, stupid,' _Mack said to himself.

There was a knock on his door. "Mack? Can I come in? I found something…"

"Sure." The door creaked slightly as Rose opened it. She too, was in her pajamas, pink with red polka dots. There was a paperback novel in her hands.

"I would have bought you a replacement, but I just found this under my bed…" Rose held out a copy of _The Baron's Betrayal._ "Thanks for letting me borrow it."

"No problem. I gave you all of your books back already, right?"

Rose nodded. "Got em all." She set the book down on the shelf and then threw her arms around him. "I'm going to miss you so much, Mack. I really am."

"I'll miss you too, Rose." He returned the hug, rocking her back and forth slowly. Nothing had ever felt more right.

"I'm being ridiculous. I'm just going to go to bed. Night." Rose pulled away and turned back to the door.

'_Now or never,' _a little voice nagged at Mack. "Hey Rose?"

She turned to him, hopeful, her eyes wet with tears. "Yes, Mack?"

But he couldn't do it. He just couldn't. "I-Goodnight."

She nodded and left. Mack watched her go in her room and shut the pink door. He sighed and turned off the light.

As he lay awake cursing his lack of courage, a horrible thought struck him. What if he could never tell her how he felt? What if he could never be honest and some other guy fell for her? He'd lose her forever…

Mack fell into an uncomfortable sleep. He dreamed of being at a wedding-Rose's wedding. The groom was a blank faced stranger, tall and unpleasant. "Not my Rose," Mack mumbled in his sleep.

He woke up in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Only in Your Dreams**

Mack got out of the bed slowly, taking in his surroundings. _'Where am I?' _he wondered. _'How did I get here?'_

He left the bedroom, padding down the short hallway to a combination kitchen/living room. The TV was a good brand and fairly large-he had money. Well, he'd always had money. But Mack had never paid much attention to the Hartford fortune.

Shaking his head, Mack continued into the kitchen. The refrigerator was well stocked with his favorite foods, as were the cabinets. He used the coffee maker, deciding that it would be best to be fully alert while he tried to figure things out.

The coffee helped. Mack studied the room, looking for any small clue as to who he was now. In one corner of the living room was a desk with a computer on it. Mack walked over to the desk, frowning slightly. He rummaged through the other items-bills, catalogues, a photograph of the team.

Hanging over the desk was a calendar. Perfect. The month was May, the year 2014.

He was twenty-five.

Twenty-five. When he'd gone to sleep, he'd been eighteen and afraid to tell the woman who'd stolen his heart how he felt.

Rose. How did she fit into his life? Were they friends, dating, married? Did…did she hate him? Were they even close like they'd been at eighteen?

It was safe to say they weren't married-there was no ring on his finger. But he knew nothing could ever break apart their friendship. He'd find her number and give her a call. Rose would make everything normal again. She always did.

Mack was spared from trying to find his cell phone by the sudden noise coming from what he supposed was his bedroom. The phone was ringing to the familiar tune of his favorite song. The caller ID read _Ronny._

"Hello?"

"Hey Mack. You're still coming to Rose's party, right? I know you just got back from Guatemala or something, but I think she's really looking forward to seeing you. We all are. It's been ages since the whole team's been together."

"Rose's party?" He suddenly remembered Rose's birthday was May 29th. "For her birthday?" Mack hoped desperately that Ronny would think he had some sort of jet lag.

"Yes, for her birthday," Ronny said slowly. "Why else? She hates parties. The only reason she's having this one is because we wouldn't leave her alone until she agreed. Anyway, Ruby's crying and I think one of the boys just made a mess, so I have to go. See you tonight!"

Ruby? Boys? Her children-Ronny had children? Were they Will's? But before he could ask, the line had gone dead. Mack shook his head and began to fiddle with the phone until he found the address book feature. He scrolled through the names.

Aston House…Dad…Dax…Home…Jessica-his father's Jessica? What was the deal with that now?-…Lo House…Ronny…Rose…Ty & Vella…Will. These familiar names were intermingled with less familiar ones like Landon and Vicky. Who were they?

The phone rang again, the screen reading _Vicky_ in neat block letters. He had no clue who this person was and decided to let them leave a message. The phone beeped a moment later, indicating that he had voice mail.

Mack followed the instructions and got to the message a minute later. He winced at the perky voice.

"Hey baby. I guess you're still sleeping. That's OK. Listen, I know we had a lunch date, but something came up and I won't be able to make it. But I can still come to Rose's party, so pick me up at six, alright? Love you!"

Apparently, this Vicky woman was his girlfriend.

It was safe to say he had never told Rose how he truly felt.


	3. Chapter 3

**Only in Your Dreams**

Luckily, he was able to find Vicky's address easily. Feeling strangely nervous, Mack drove through San Angeles towards his apparent girlfriend's home. It was cute, he thought, a nice starter house. The front yard was large and square, with beds of flowers all along the perimeter. His heart leapt into his throat as he gazed at a flower with pink and red petals.

He rang the bell and a moment later it was opened, revealing a pretty blond girl a few inches shorter than he was. "Baby!" she squealed happily before throwing her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his lips. "You smell nice. All caught up on your sleep now?" Vicky asked in a teasing tone.

"Yeah," Mack answered with a smile. He was still trying to figure out how he'd ended up with someone who was such the opposite of Rose. But Vicky was very pretty, Mack admitted to himself, and very happy to see him. Maybe his tastes had just changed.

Or maybe Rose had rejected him.

Mack shoved the thought from his mind. "Ready?"

"Just about," Vicky answered, straightening the hem of her knee length skirt. "I'm glad we get to see everyone tonight," she gushed as she followed Mack outside. "I mean, I adore all of those kids, and your friends are so funny. I hope we're as happy as Will and Ronny and Dax and Rose."

Dax and Rose?

"Y'know Vicky, I'm still a little tired. Will you drive?" Mack handed over the keys. He wasn't tired at all, of course, but the bomb Vicky had just dropped had thrown him for a loop. Dax and Rose…

Vicky had no problem believing this and slid into the driver's seat. She chatted happily, requiring no comments from Mack to keep going. He noticed that as she drove, she watched him from the corner of her eye. He'd smile when she did this, if only to keep her convinced that he was the Mack she obviously knew.

Ronny and Will were in the front yard at the Lo home. Playing on the grass were four children with creamy brown skin-the Aston kids. In Ronny's arms was a baby girl, fast asleep. Vicky squealed happily. "Hello little Ruby. This is Auntie Vicky," she whispered as she reached out for the infant. The blond looked to Ronny. "She's so beautiful, Ronny."

"Thank you," Ronny said, smiling. She spotted Mack. "Hey Peter Parker." She threw her arms around him. "You look good, Mack. Meet your deadlines?"

"Yeah," Mack said as Will got up. They exchanged brief hugs and hellos. Then little hands tugged at Mack's. He looked down at the oldest of Ronny and Will's five children. "Hi."

"Did you bring me and my brothers presents?" Logan Aston demanded.

"Logan," Will said warningly. "Just because someone goes away doesn't mean you get a present."

"Yes it does," Caleb chimed in. "When Uncle Tyzonn and Auntie Vella came back from Mercury they brought us all Mercury toys."

"Actually, it's Mercuria," said Tyzonn's familiar voice as he and Vella came up the walk. Vella too, had a baby in her arms. "Hello everyone. Nice to see you all."

Vella and Ronny took their baby daughters into the house. Tyzonn and Will began playing with the Aston children once more and Mack watched with an ache in his heart. He wanted this…but not with Vicky. He wanted it with Rose.

"Baby, let's go inside," Vicky suggested as she linked her arm through Mack's. She smiled up at him so happily that Mack couldn't protest. Whatever he felt for her was nowhere near what she obviously felt for him. Mack wondered if the Mack he was now really loved her.

Dax, grinning happily, met Mack and Vicky on their way to the kitchen. "Hey Mack. Hey Vicky. Glad to see you could make it. I'm gonna herd the kids into the backyard so I can start the grill. Rose has snacks in the kitchen if you're hungry."

Vicky settled down at the kitchen table and began visiting with Vella and Ronny, bouncing little Ruby on her knees. Mack sat down next to her, wondering where Rose was.

He didn't have long to wait. Rose's familiar petite form appeared a moment later. There was an apron tied around her waist, but that didn't hide the fact that she was heavily pregnant.


	4. Chapter 4

**Only in Your Dreams**

"Rose!" Vicky handed the baby back to Ronny and skipped over to Rose. "You're so big! When are you due?"

"Um, a little less than two months," Rose answered. "We're very excited. Dax especially." Rose turned her gaze to Mack. "Hey Mack." She was slightly breathless as she said his name.

"Hi," Mack replied, flashing her the first genuine smile he'd given since he'd started this whole strange day. "You look good. Happy birthday." He got up and crossed the room to her and snatched her up in a big bear hug. Ronny snickered.

When he released the former pink ranger, she sighed very softly as she set about getting a snack platter from the fridge. The other three women nibbled at it, but Mack was too preoccupied to eat. She was just as beautiful now as she'd been then. But there was one question on Mack's mind-how on earth had she ended up with Dax?

"The boys look like they're playing football. They'll need a referee. Shall we, ladies?" Ronny asked her friends. Vella and Vicky agreed and followed Ronny out to the backyard. This left Rose and Mack very much alone.

"So a baby, huh?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Rose asked, a little coldly. It caught him off guard, that she'd be so nasty towards him. Mack wondered what he'd done to screw up their friendship.

He tried again. "Boy or girl?"

"Boy. Dax wants to name him Steven Quentin after his favorite directors. I like Matthew, personally." Rose looked out of the window to the yard. The little boys were still shrieking with laughter as they tossed the little football around. Vicky was holding Vella's baby Mina, looking at her lovingly. "Vicky's going to be a great mother when the two of you settle down." Her voice was bitter.

"You're going to be a great mom too."

"I wonder sometimes…" Rose smiled sadly and turned her attention back to the man in red. "I wish the baby was yours," she whispered. "I know it's wrong, and it's not fair to Dax, but that's the truth."

"Then why aren't we together?" Mack asked quietly. "I always loved you, Rose. Always. And if you want it to be our baby inside of you then you obviously didn't reject me…"

"If either of us rejected the other it was you." Rose's voice was cold again. "I'm still so angry with you for hurting me like that. I don't understand how you could. I thought I meant more to you than that. But I always was a dreamer."

"This is going to sound crazy, Rose, but I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know any of this: I don't know how you married Dax or how I got a Barbie doll as a girlfriend, or how I hurt you. When I went to sleep last night I was eighteen. I woke up this morning and I was twenty-five."

"That doesn't make a bit of sense. Don't be ridiculous."

"It's true," Mack protested. "It as your last night in the mansion. I took you out to dinner at the Italian place near our favorite book store. You told me you felt more at home at the mansion than anywhere else."

Rose nodded. "I remember. I remember hoping that you were finally going to tell me what I'd been waiting to hear for seven months."

"I wanted to." Mack reached out and took her hand. "And you brought me my copy of _The Baron's Betrayal._ You hugged me and told me you were going to miss me. I went to bed and woke up in that apartment."

"You wanna know what happened? You left me a note saying you loved me and that you were sorry but that you had to go. That you'd come to London as soon as you could so we could be together.

"You never called. You never wrote. You came home three years later with her." Rose sneered the word and shot a dirty look to Vicky's form on the other side of the glass. "Then I ran into Dax one day, and we were both so lonely… When he kissed me I didn't stop him, and we've been together ever since."

"Do you love him?"

"Not like I should. But it's enough. It's enough."

"Do you think whoever I am now loves Vicky?"

"Not like you should."

"I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tightly. "I really mean that."

"I know that, Mack. But that doesn't change you having a girlfriend and me being married and pregnant."


	5. Chapter 5

**Only in Your Dreams**

Mack took Vicky home a few hours later, his mind still on Rose and what she'd confessed to him. It didn't sound like something he would do- promise to return only to come back with a girlfriend who wasn't Rose. It didn't sound like Rose, either, marrying Dax only to keep herself from being lonely. It worried him. How could they have changed so much?

"I love your friends, baby," Vicky told him, shattering the silent spell that had wrapped itself around the two. "They're all so nice and funny, and their children are adorable. I…I hope whoever you marry loves them too."

"What?" Mack asked in a shocked tone. _He_ certainly wasn't in love with Vicky, but this future him could easily be. How else could he have chosen Vicky over Rose? "I don't understand."

"You told me when we met that you had loved your best friend Rose and that you always would. I understood that, and I still do. She's a big part of your life, an important person to you. It's just that we've been together for four years now and she's still the most important person in your life. I can see it in the way you look at her. And that's not fair to either of us. I'm so sorry."

But all he could do was nod. "Be happy," Mack told her, and he meant it. She was a genuinely nice woman, and though he'd really only met her a few hours ago, Mack did want her to be happy. She was sweet.

"I do love you, Mack." Vicky's brown eyes bore into his own blue ones, begging him to understand the choice she'd made. "Part of me always will. I just have to get on with my life now…and maybe you should, too." She leaned in and kissed his cheek softly. "Good night. Drive safe."

Mack nodded again and watched the woman hop out of his car and go up the walk to her home. She turned to wave before going into the house and disappearing from sight.

He didn't know how to feel. He had no attachment to Vicky, but the twenty-five year old Mack did. _'Maybe he should have thought of that before he let Rose get away,'_ he thought bitterly. _'Anyone who would let Rose get away is an idiot and deserves to be lonely.'_

It certainly had been an interesting day, Mack mused as he entered his apartment. His girlfriend had just broken up with him, he had flaked on the one woman who had always stood by and loved him, and he had no idea who he was anymore.

He was so bored…so lonely in this unfamiliar empty apartment. He wished desperately that he could fix the mistake he'd made so that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be alone anymore.

Mack searched through his book shelves, hoping to find one of his old favorites. A title jumped out at him.

_The Baron's Betrayal._ That was perfect. Mack snatched the book off the shelf eagerly and sat down on the plush red couch. As he opened the book, a folded piece of paper fell out from between the pages.

Mack unfolded the paper scrap, wondering what it was and how it had gotten there. It was in Rose's handwriting.

_Dear Mack,_

_I can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow. It seems like I just got here and met you for the first time. Time does fly; the saying is true._

_Mack, you've been my best friend since that first crazy day. I know you know this already, but I don't tell you often enough. You've definitely kept me sane through this whole ordeal._

_It never mattered to me. I told you this right after we found out the truth about you, and it's still a fact. You accept me for who I am, and the least I can do is return the favor._

_And now that the Corona Aurora has performed its little miracle on you, it's time you knew. I love you, Mack. I knew that first day, when you smiled. I love you, and I'll miss you while you're off playing Indiana Jones._

_Take care of yourself…I need you to come home safely._

_All my love,_

_Rose_

Mack felt his heart break into a million little pieces. She'd poured her heart out to him…and he'd somehow thought Vicky was a better choice for himself. What an idiot he'd been. He wanted to call Rose and apologize all over again.

Wondering how he'd ever managed to screw things up for himself so badly, Mack took the note into his room, turning off lights as he went. He climbed into bed, weary and lonely and needing his Rose.


	6. Chapter 6

**Only in Your Dreams**

Mack rolled over in his sleep and hit the wall just hard enough to be woken up. He groaned softly. Now he might never get back to sleep.

He turned over in the other direction. As his tired eyes looked around in the darkness, something very important dawned on the former red ranger. There were no anime posters on the walls of the apartment. There was not a desk in the bedroom or a red beanbag chair in it.

Mack scrambled out of bed to the jeans he'd left on the floor. He took his phone from one of the pockets and flipped it open. According to Mack's phone, it was just after two in the morning on December 1st, 2007. He was back. He was eighteen once more. He could make everything better. Rose wouldn't have to marry Dax.

Mack laughed out loud, thrilled. He ran down the hallway to Rose's bedroom and threw open the door. She was still there, asleep in her pink bed and looking nothing short of beautiful. Rose smiled in her sleep as Mack moved closer to her bed.

She opened her eyes for a moment, saw him standing over her and closed her eyes again. And then Rose sat up, her brown eyes round. "It's the middle of the night, Mack. What's up?"

Mack took a deep breath. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mack; you know that. Did you have to come in here and wake me up just to tell me that?"

Mack sat down on the edge of Rose's bed and reached for her hand. It was warm and soft against his skin. "No, baby. I mean I _really _love you. Want to be with you forever kind of love you."

Rose's mouth formed an 'O' of surprise. Then she smiled. "I love you, too." She tucked a stray section of black hair behind her ear. "Why'd you wait until the last second to tell me?"

Mack flushed pink. "I was afraid, I guess." Rose snuggled into his arms, cupping his face in her hands for a moment before pulling him down to her for their first kiss.

"And what were you afraid of?" Rose asked when they had parted for air. "That I'd laugh at you?"

"Well, yes," Mack answered, now red. "I've never felt anything like this before. I feel so great when I'm with you. Like we would be perfect together. I mean, look at this. We fit against each other."

Rose grinned happily. "We do. You're right." She lay there in his arms for a moment, relieved that they'd finally been honest with each other, until something hit her. Hit her hard. "But we're both leaving tomorrow. I'm going back to London and you're off to Peru or Brazil or something…"

"We'll make it work. Dad's only planning on being away for a few months. As soon as it's done, I'm on a flight to England for my girl. In the mean time, we'll call and write as often as possible. I…I can't watch you marry Dax and have children with him. I can't."

Rose cocked an eyebrow at him. "Why on earth would I marry Dax? He and I would never work like that. We're just good friends."

"You have no idea how good it is to hear you say that, Rose. No idea." Mack tightened his grip on her ever so slightly, resting his head atop hers. She twisted to look up at him.

"What are you talking about, Mack?" Rose asked.

"I had this dream…well, it was a nightmare, actually, that we were twenty-five. You were married to Dax and about seven months pregnant. Oh, and I had some super perky girlfriend who probably had little animals help her get dressed in the morning. It was beyond weird."

Rose made a face. "That sounds fun." She chuckled softly, but her laughter quickly turned into a yawn. "So now that we're all settled here, I need to get some sleep and so do you. Good night." She pecked him on the lips and hugged him before pulling away from his arms and lying down again.

Mack smiled to himself. He pulled Rose's blankets away from her body and lay down with her before covering them both up again. They cuddled close, perfectly content now that they'd told each other the truth. A tiny hand touched Mack's cheek. "Love you."

"I love you too, Rose."


	7. Chapter 7

**Only in Your Dreams**

Mack shook his young daughter awake. "Come on, baby girl, Daddy needs a helper." He scooped up his three year old, holding her close to him as he went downstairs to the kitchen.

Once he had assembled the materials needed, he scooped Jamie up again and sat her on the counter. "OK, I need two eggs." Jamie smiled up at him and opened the egg carton, choosing two of them. He smiled back at her before cracking the eggs into the bowl.

"What next, Daddy?"

"I need a half cup of water." The older Hartford measured the water carefully and poured it into the bowl. He took a wooden spoon from the utensil drawer. "Do you wanna stir?" Jamie nodded eagerly and took the large utensil from her father. She sang to herself as she stirred the pancake batter. Mack checked that his baby girl wasn't going to fall off the counter before crossing to the coffee pot.

"All done!" Jamie chirped brightly a few minutes later. She smiled up at him again. "Did I do good, Daddy?" Jamie asked, holding out the bowl for Mack to inspect.

Mack poked around with the spoon for a moment. "You did great, sweetheart." Mack kissed the top of Jamie's head and then took a frying pan from the cupboard. He poured a large amount of batter into it, forming a perfect circle. Once that had started to cook, he found another frying pan and took a pound of bacon from the fridge.

Satisfied with the progress breakfast was making, Mack put Jamie down and went to watch cartoons with her. After ten minutes, he got the breakfast tray ready and spoke to Jamie. "Baby, I need you to get your mommy up. Tell her 'Happy Birthday.'"

Jamie did just as her father had asked her to. She skipped upstairs and into her parents' room. "Mommy!" her little voice mewed. "Mommy, wake up! It's your birthday, it's your birthday!" Jamie climbed onto the bed and gave her mother's shoulder a gentle shove.

Rose gave a sleepy smile and opened her eyes. "Good morning." She held out her arms and her daughter eagerly snuggled in. "You're up early."

"Daddy needed a helper!" Jamie exclaimed. "We cooked breakfast for you!" She beamed with pride at this, looking to her mother for approval. Rose felt her heart melt. God she loved this little girl.

"You did?" Rose asked, weaving her fingers through Jamie's dark hair. "Where is it?"

"Daddy's bringing it up," Jamie answered. "Oops! I forgot to tell you 'Happy Birthday!' Happy birthday, Mommy. I love you this much." Jamie spread her arms out as wide as she possibly could.

"That seems about right. I love you too, Jamie. You're my favorite little girl."

"Well, isn't this a precious moment?" Mack asked as he entered the room with a tray in his hands. "Happy birthday, Rose. We made you pancakes, bacon and coffee for breakfast. Eat up." Mack carefully set the tray down onto Rose's lap, leaned in for a quick kiss, and then reached for Jamie. "Hungry?"

The young girl nodded. "Can I have pancakes, Daddy?" Her blue eyes shined as they looked up at her father.

"Of course you can." Jamie beamed and wrapped her tiny arms around Mack's neck. He waved to Rose as he took their daughter downstairs once more.

Many hours later, Rose held a sleeping Jamie in her arms and carried her to the pink bedroom. "Goodnight, my little Jamie," Rose whispered as she peeled back her daughter's quilt and sheets. "I love you so much, my angel."

As the older Hartford slipped out of Jamie's bedroom, Mack came up the stairs. "Now that Jamie's all taken care of…" Mack hugged his wife tightly and leaned in to kiss her. "I love you. Happy birthday."

Rose chuckled softly. "I'm just glad it didn't turn out the way you dreamed my twenty-fifth birthday did."


End file.
